Stage curtain rigging



Dec. 31, 1940. c. E. ToMPKlNs STAGE CURTAIN RIGGING Filed Dec. 28,-193'? 4 z3 2 2+ INVENT UR EMBL/55 E TDMPKINS 27 22 2f' BY TTDRNEYSPatented Dec. 3l, 1940 'UNITED 'STATES PATENT ortica@ STAGECURTAINRIGGING p Charles E. Tompkins, Syracuse, N. Y., 'assigner to J.R. Clancy, Inc., Syracuse, N. Y.,jacorporation of NewYork Ap'plieeuenDecember z8,iesaserieiive.182,130 Y mm. (cuasi- 141) My inventionrelates to rigging for raising and lowering a stage curtain and moreparticularly` to means for taking up the slack or stretch in .i

for preventing movement of the block in one direction while at the sametime enabling its movement in the opposite direction under `the actionof gravity to thereby tauten the purchase 2" line.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be more apparent fromthe following description when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

`-` Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the floor block of a stagecurtain rigging in which my invention is incorporated.

Figure 2 is a view of a portion of Figure 1 showing the locking devicefor preventing move- 5" ment of theblock in one direction.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 except that it is partly insection.

Figure i is a perspective View of the locking device.

The floor block in which my invention is incorporated may be used in aconventional stage curtan rigging or may be used as a substitute for thefloor block shown in my application led December 1'?, 1937, Serial No.180,471, now Patent No. .2j-42.063, issued December 27, 1938.

In general, a stage curtain rigging system comprises a piuralitv ofcurtain supporting ropes wh' h are loperatively connected to a counteruht slidable in suitable guides. The counterif w... t adapted tocounter-balance the weight oftne curtain. The counter-weight is alsooperatively connected to a purchase line through which the curtain israised and lowered. The purchase line is passed over a plurality ofsheaves 5" so the. con pulling upon the purchase line in one directionthe counter-weight is raisedand the curtain lowered, and upon pulling onthe purchase line in the opposite direction the counter-weight islowered and the curtain raised. 5i" The purchase line oi such systems,in use,

on guides, the block being provided with means stretchesso that in'manyinstallations a'ffioor blockis provided A,which is :slidable `or movableon guides so that` theslack in the purchase line is automatically takenupas it stretches. In the past, 'one of the disadvantages ofsuchvmcvable iioor blocksrfor taking up the slack has been that when thepurchasel line. is pulled upwardithe cor block has a tendency to move orslide upward with it.- Then when the purchase line is released, thefloor block moves` Yor slides-down-10 wardgecausing a` considerablenoise back-stage which is extremely objectionable` i In my invention, Ihave `provided a slidable iioor block with means for preventing theupward `movement of the block when the purchase line is raisedwhilestill enabling the floor block to. move downward on its guides asthe purchase line stretches under the action of gravity toV thereby takeup the slack.

In AFigure 1, I have shown a slidable floor block, indicated generallyby the numeral l0, which is mounted ona platform or base plate Iladapted to be bolted or otherwise secured to the rigging door. The baseplate Il has secured therein, in any suitable manner, a plurality ofguides I2. A cross bar i5 is adapted to receive the tops of the guidesand maintain the structure rigid. The guides are slidably received inapertures provided in bosses or lugs I3 formed in this instance integralwith a pair of plates I6, four on each plate. The plates IB constitute asheave block and are secured together in any suitable manner. Ifdesired, cross rods l1 may be used. Rotatably mounted on a shaft I8,carried by the plates lli, is a sheave i9 adapted to 35 receive a pullrope or purchase line 2 I It will be appreciated that in the ordinarystage curtain rigging in which a slidable block is provided, an upwardpull on the purchase line to raise the curtain tends te reise with' nthe siidabie 40 block upward on its guides. As soon as the purchase lineis released, the block slides down on its guides causing a considerablenoise. I have provided simple means of preventing this from occurring.As shown more clearly in Figures 2, 3 and 4,` a locking device,indicated generally by the numeral 20, is provided comprising a plate 22having riveted thereto, as indicated at 23, a U-shaped member 24 havinglegs 26. The plate 22 is pro- 50 vided with an aperture 21 whichisadapted to encircle one of the guides l2. The locking device 20 isplaced in operative position Vby loosely mounting it on top of one ofthe plates i6, as indicated in Figure 2, in such position that the legs5 26 loosely straddle the plate. The aperture 21 is somewhat larger indiameter than the guide so that the locking device tends to hangdownward in angular relationship to the guide I2, as indicated inFigures 2 and 3. W'hile a locking device may be provided at each end ofeach of the plates, I have found that one locking device is sufficient,although I have shown two in the drawing, one mountedon each plate.

A further advantage of my structure, as shown in dotted lines in Figure2, is that the lock 20 may be raised upward clear of the plate I6 androtated from the solid line position of Figure 2 to the dotted lineposition of that gure. This enables free movement of thek block` upwardwhereby adjustment of the pull rope may be made. Further, if a theatreis shut down for any appreciable period, the locking device may be movedto its inoperative position so that expansion and contraction of thepull rope due totem-r perature or humidity changes is freely permitted.It will now be appreciated that when the purchase line 2| is pulledupward, the margins of the aperture 2l will dig into the guides, asindicated at 28 and 29 in Figure 3, and prevent upward movement of theblock. At the same time, it vwill be-appreciated thatl downward slidingmovement of the block on its guides under'the action of gravity as therope stretches in use-is freely per- While I have shown an exceedinglysimple way of accomplishing my desired result, it will be appreciatedthat various changes and modifications may be made Without departingfrom the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

In a rigging for raising and lowering a stage curtain, a pull rope bywhich said curtain is raised and lowered, and means for taking up theslack in said pull rope as said rope stretches in use comprising aslidable block having a sheave over which said pull rope is passed,guides for said block, a lock member slidably and rotatably mounted onone of said guides adjacent said block by means of an aperture throughwhich said guide passes, said aperture being larger than said guidesaidblock having two surfaces adapted to cooperate with said lock member intwo positions of :rotation thereof, one a locking position and the otheran unlocked position, said lock member when in its locking positionbeing held bythe cooperating block surface with said apertureinclined tosaid guide whereby said lock ing block surface with said aperturesubstantially 'coaxial with said guide whereby said block is free tomove in either direction along said guides.

CHARLES E. TOMPKINS.

